Wide is the path and broad is the way

Like others, I received my Hell Dorado kickstarter package the other day. I knew from Cipher's frequent updates that it would be arriving soon, but as they didn't send out tracking or individual notices that packages had shipped, it actually slipped in unannounced. So it was quite pleasant to receive it when I checked my post office box Thursday. (I also got my recent Crooked Dice order, but more on that later.)

This is the hardcover expansion volume for Hell Dorado, Inferno.
 Very good writing, but the typos will make your head spin. Also, as Cipher Studios chose to ship in an envelope, I ended up with that healthy ding you see in the bottom edge of the cover.

I wasn't able to go in very large on the Hell Dorado pledge, as so many other worthwhile projects were soaking up my hobby budget. I got the Marbas package: the new Inferno expansion rulebook, the Inferno character cards, signed art lithograph (the size of a post card, but a beautiful rendition of the Inferno cover art) and the kickstarter-exclusive model of Anne Hale. I also plumped for the mini of Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King. He's one of my favorite literary characters, and I really liked the concept art behind this rendition of him.

The character deck for Inferno.

Signed litho of Inferno cover art. Small, but perfectly formed.

The Anne Hale mini and card. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo.
I was balancing all this on a piece of black felt on my lap when the cat attacked.

Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King! I've always loved "Journey to the West"
and I really like this incarnation of him.

From Crooked Dice I received my order I placed with some of my Christmas cash I. I got Tweedy 2, Miss Temple, Belle, the Traveling Tweedy heads, and the set of Time Lost Investigators. In addition, Karl and Graeme saw fit to include a couple of freebies, a Captain Jim Barrowight and a sprue of Federated Security carbines. Now would be a good time for anyone interested to place an order with them, as they've got 25 percent off all non-new release minis until the end of January with the code JAN25OFF.

Miss Temple, a noble woman if ever there was one, Tweedy Madison complete with glasses
(and a certain sound-related device behind his back) and Belle, Tweedy's latest energetic sidekick.

Here we have the Time Lost Investigators, including Eliza, the Victorian Samurai (with human or reptile head), Genevieve, her martial maid, and their mutated manservant Sachs, who can be assembled with either furry face or spud-like noggin.

Group Captian Jim Barrowight is overexposed (oooh, matron!) along with the
traveling Tweedy heads (Stetson, Fez and beard), along with the Federated carbines.

OK, so those are my latest pieces of ill-gotten booty, or ill-booten gotty for that matter. Back to the boards, my friends, and I'll see you all across the table soon!

Merry Christmas, everybody!

I hope everyone had/is having a wonderful Christmas celebration. My family focuses more on Christmas Eve than Christmas Day, not just because we are distantly German way back in our DNA, but also (and mostly) because it's my parents' wedding anniversary. Gary and Diane Sheets have now been married for 48 years. They set a great example for us (me and my sister, Vikki) of what a couple looks like when they attack life's challenges together. I'm very lucky to share that with my wife, Tracey.

My mom and dad (photo shamelessly stolen from my sister's Facebook.

Tracey and I exchanged gifts Monday night as we prepared for the brief drive up today to my parents' house. In addition to some Bath & Body Works products, I got her a new reaching tool (the Gopher II, for those of you who might be in the market for a grabber,) a couple of new ornate knitted headbands, a pair of gloves through which you can still operate touch-screen devices, and a couple of issues of a current Red Sonja conic with covers by one of her favorite artists, Frank Thorne. (We'll be picking up future issues of the comic as well.)

I told Tracey that I put so much into kickstarters during the year that she shouldn't get me anything else. It was a nice surprise that the new Spinespur rulebook and KS minis arrived in time for the celebration. Thanks, Bob Mervine and Comfy Chair Games! I'll post pics and a complete write-up over the next few days. Tracey did treat me to some new dice, which I, like every gamer, love. She'd heard me say I wanted to have some more d10's handy for IHMN games, so she ordered me some lovely steampunk engraved d10s made by Q Workshop. I even got a mix, some white-on-black and some black-on-white, so I could easily use them for percentile rolls too.

Word comes from the Hell Dorado kickstarter that they received their shipment of books and cards on Christmas Eve, so shipping should commence shortly. And Rovanite over at Grekwood Miniatures has given us all a gift, finally posting the free zombie rules he's been developing.

So all in all a wonderful holiday that I was privileged to spend with my wife, parents, sister and brother-in-law and two wonderful nieces.

I wish all you fine folks the best this holiday season and the coming year have to offer. You are a wonderful group of people; I am honored to know you and eager to share more gaming fun in the future.

Back to the boards, everyone, and I'll see you across the table soon.

Courting disaster

I am indeed courting disaster, ladies and gentlemen, because when my wife finds out how many Kickstarters I've pledged to right now, she is going to beat me within an inch of my miserable life.

Not that I'm not into that, mind you.

But dear God, why do there have to be so many good things going on right now in the minis world?

I managed to keep myself restrained with the recently wrapped-up Mythos Foundry project, plumping only for the set of H.P. himself and Sonia Greene.

Now there is, of course, the Empire of the Dead: Requiem Kickstarter, the Hell Dorado: Inferno expansion, and the relaunch of Spinespur!

Let's just say that the IRS better have my tax refund to me before these things start funding in about three weeks or I'm going to have to learn to paint minis with broken fingers and one eye swollen shut.

(Actually I plan to sell off some more of the Lead Mountain to fund my KS support, so watch this space for announcements of when I'm putting things up on eBay. Mostly Warmachine and Hordes, but perhaps some old GW items as well.)

For Hell Dorado I'm trying to limit myself to the new rulebook, but the $100 Hell Gate level is a steal -- Inferno rulebook, character card deck, Core rulebook, two faction starters of your choice, a limited edition figurine and a signed art print. Most of the unlocked stretch goals for Hell Dorado are add-ons, but Hell Gate pledgers and above will get a free alternate or limited edition mini. I must say the Efrit warriors add-on for $15 is very tempting.

Spinespur is a twisted effin' modern skirmish game that I have long loved. I have a scattershot collection of minis for it, but I've decided to pledge for the Agenda starter level that gets you all the minis for 1 agenda in the game. I plan to get the Men of G.O.D., which is the group I have the fewest minis for yet, and I do just love those Fist of G.O.D. Minis. Men in Black with powerfists! Hot damn!

Spinespur is nearing its funding goal of $7,000 with 35 days to go. Stretch goals will start including free minis for those pledging $65 and above, so we need to get this pumped up to the $40,000 level. When that goal is reached, a set called the Chop Docs will become available for separate purchase. Lets just say they remind me of certain creations of Clive Barker that are associated with a certain puzzle box. OK, and a little of Rob Zombie's Dr. Satan from "House of 1,000 Corpses."

And my beloved EoTD: Requiem Kickstarter crossed the £50,000 mark, meaning that Red, Daughter of the Goddess, will be added free to pledgers at the £74 level and above. And rules for Lightning Jack will be added to the PDF of the rulebook.

The next stretch goal is another £5,000 away and will see the unlocking of the Brougham (Hackney Cab) Gentleman's Coach (available for an additional £20 to your pledge), the Steam Velocipede for £5, and the addition of the Order of the Dragon Rules to the PDF of the rulebook.

Still 24 days to go to get in on the Requiem goodness, folks!

And it's not like I don't have other minis out there I want to get. I had to miss out on the Dreadball kickstarter and I really want to get my mitts on some of those MVPs. Also, I haven't yet picked up any of the Dark Age CORE robots yet, and now the Kukulkani are in stores. Arrrgh! I'm only flesh and blood (and a little plastic and chrome and steel) but I'm certainly not made of money. What's that? I need to develop patience and self-restraint? OK, how long's that gonna take?